Sitting or laying in your most comfortable and natural meditation position and gently close your eyes.
Firstly,
Take a few moments to relax into your body and as you do this identify any areas of bodily tension,
Then consciously relax those muscles.
Take three slow breaths and as you do so allow the out-breaths to be a little longer than the in-breaths.
A long slow out-breath just naturally triggers your body's relaxation response.
Now as you bring your awareness to each breath,
Notice the movement in the body as you follow the easy flow of each breath.
Breathing in,
Notice the temperature of the breath as it moves into your nostrils.
Feel a touch of the air as it flows into your nose.
And as the breath moves down into your body,
Feel your lungs fill up with this life affirming air,
Gently expanding your ribcage and your chest.
Then feel your belly softly push out.
And then there is a pause before the belly and chest gently fall back in as the breath now exhales and moves up and out of the body.
The out-breath feeling warm as it flows out of the nostrils.
And now feeling that natural state of relaxation that accompanies each out-breath.
So now just follow the flow and movement in the body with each breath.
And now,
Feeling that natural state of relaxation that accompanies each out-breath.
Now,
Bring your attention to all of the sounds around you.
Placing your attention on the sounds coming from further away.
Just listening with an interest and a curiosity.
No sounds are good or bad.
Sound is simply a sound.
Just listening.
Now bring your attention to sounds coming from nearby,
Closer to you.
Again,
Just listening.
Simply noticing.
Perhaps you can hear your own breath.
Also just listening to all of the sounds near and far.
And now,
Bring your awareness to your eyes.
Breathing into the small muscles around your eyes and your temples.
Feel your eyelids smoothing out.
And simply resting your attention on the screen of darkness in front of your relaxed eyes.
You might notice some movement or colour there,
Or perhaps it is quite dark.
There is no right or wrong.
Just simply noticing the space of darkness in front of your relaxed eyes.
Just simply noticing this internal space.
If any thoughts come to your awareness,
Just let them come and go.
No need to follow them.
Just allow the thoughts to arise in your mind and watch them as they simply pass by.
Do not attach to any of these thoughts.
Just simply let them come and go.
Bring your awareness back to your breath,
Feeling the movement in the body and the flow of each breath.
Listen to the sounds.
Or rest your attention in that quiet space in front of your closed eyes.
And if you notice yourself following a thought,
Just simply and gently bring your attention back into your body.
Feeling the movement of the breath and noticing the sounds.
Now as this meditation ends,
Take three conscious breaths.
Wake up your body with some gentle movement,
Perhaps a stretch,
And gently open your eyes.
We look to you the entire time.
